Real Estate and Housing

Since 1963, Selfhelp has been building affordable housing for senior New Yorkers. The newly incorporated Selfhelp Realty Group will serve as the primary entity for Selfhelp housing development projects going forward.

Selfhelp is committed to affordable housing in New York and currently owns and operates 11 apartment buildings in Queens, the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Nassau County. Selfhelp's unique real estate developments offer low and moderate-income New York seniors the opportunity to age in their home in the neighborhood they love with access to on-site social services. SHASAM, Selfhelp's Active Services for Aging Model, brings together safe and affordable apartments with our legacy of quality social services.

Affordable Housing

Selfhelp owns and operates 11 affordable apartment buildings in Queens, Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Nassau County, with additional projects in development throughout New York. More than 1,400 low and moderate-income seniors enjoy life in our residences, designed exclusively for older adults.

Our buildings offer our residents the opportunity to lead independent lives in affordable and appropriate apartments, with access to on-site services if and when needed, including health and wellness, social work, and referrals to home care. There are also computer and Skype rooms, large community rooms and libraries, as well as exercise equipment. Each unit is equipped with emergency pull cords, there is closed-circuit TV surveillance in each lobby, and the buildings are near public transportation. Seven of our residences are also in close proximity to one of Selfhelp's senior centers, where residents can participate in stimulating programs and enjoy a nutritious lunch.

Selfhelp is committed to building and operating energy-efficient and sustainable residences throughout New York. As part of this commitment, Selfhelp has partnered with the New York City Mayor's Office of Sustainability on the NYC Carbon Challenge program, which is a commitment to reduce greenhouse gases emissions by 30% in ten years to ensure a healthy and safe environment for our homes and communities.

Current Developments

To accommodate the growing number of older New Yorkers who need affordable housing and would benefit from remaining independent in their own homes, we are committed to developing new affordable housing, modeled on our current senior housing. Additional projects are in development within New York.

Hunters Point South, Queens, NY: Selfhelp was awarded the Hunters Point Parcel C project with TF Cornerstone (TFC), a 1,200 unit, 2-building project, comprised of 800 units of affordable housing, of which 100 units are designated for senior affordable housing. Selfhelp will provide services to the seniors, and is involved in the design of the building to assure its compliance with our standards for senior living.

Bergen Place, Freeport, Long Island, NY: Construction is expected to begin in the fall of 2019 for a 44 unit building, which is being designed by Studio Libeskind.

11 Park Drive, Wyandanch, Long Island, NY: In partnership with The Albanese Organization, Selfhelp will develop an affordable senior residence as part of the Wyandanch Rising 40-acre redevelopment, anchored by the Wyandanch LIRR train station.

Sumner Houses, Brooklyn, NY: As part of NYC's Seniors First plan, Selfhelp was awarded land by the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) to develop a senior building on one of its existing public housing properties, Sumner Houses, in Brooklyn. We are partnering with the RiseBoro, Urban Builders Collaborative and Lettire Construction on this development. The building will have approximately 200 units and will have a community facility open to the entire Sumner complex.

Calvary Intergenerational, Brooklyn, NY: Selfhelp in partnering with the Hudson Companies, Fulcrum Properties and the Calvary Community Church to develop a mixed-use building, with approximately 85 units of senior affordable housing for older adults, 100 units of affordable housing for families as well as retail and community facility space.

Active Services for Aging Model (SHASAM)

SHASAM "Selfhelp's Active Services for Aging Model" offers social work services to residents in Selfhelp buildings. The goal of SHASAM is to provide the appropriate level of assistance to allow older adults to remain in their apartments and not move to more costly settings such as assisted living or nursing homes. Our social worker provides health and wellness, assistance with entitlements and benefits, and referrals for home care and local resources.

Selfhelp's recent study of our Selfhelp active Services for Aging Model (SHASAM) found cost savings to Medicaid. We compared Medicaid data for residents in our housing in two zip codes and compared it to other seniors living in the same zip codes over two years. We found that residents in Selfhelp's affordable housing had:

68% lower odds of Selfhelp residents being hospitalized

$1,778 average Medicaid payment per person, per hospitalization for Selfhelp residents, versus $5,715 for the comparison group

53% lower odds of a Selfhelp resident visiting an emergency room compared to a non-Selfhelp resident

The Selfhelp Realty Group has a board of directors, drawn from both the current Selfhelp Board and leading industry participants, which brings commitment, expertise and a strong presence in the affordable housing field to our housing program.

David Walsh, Division Manager of Community Development at JP Morgan Chase and formerly with the New York State Housing Finance Agency

Richard Roberts, Principal and Managing Director of Acquisitions at Red Stone Equity Partners and formerly NYC Commissioner of Housing Preservation and Development

Judi Kende, Vice President and New York Market Leader for Enterprise Community Partners